Secrets of the BAU
by kdzl
Summary: JJ is hiding something, and her colleagues are not about to let her keep a secret from them. JJ/Hotch.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

**_AN/I hope you like this, review or PM me if you think you know what JJ's secret is. Thanks to for the idea, this is all for you :) This is set a year maybe in the future, so ENJOY!_**

* * *

"Have you ever wondered where she goes every night?" Morgan pointed out as they watched JJ approach Garcia's office with her young son.

"I don't know, but I bet it has something to do with how tired she is in the morning." Emily said conspiratorially. "I bet she's exercising or something."

"Seriously girl, you're a profiler, and that's the best you can come up with? Exercise? She does that in the morning, we all know that from cases when she gets up at the crack of dawn on cases to run three miles. Nope not exercise." Morgan shot down Emily's hypothesis, not noticing his stoic boss came to stand behind him.

"Maybe she's trying to get her PhD?" Reid postulated.

"Not everyone is you, Reid. Plus, JJ already has a double BA in Criminal Justice and Public Relations, she wouldn't go back to school." Emily insisted. Although her theory had been debunked, JJ was obviously not going back to school.

"I bet it's a guy. JJ's getting some loving, she deserves it." Morgan insisted confidently. Hotch could feel his stomach drop at the idea that JJ was seeing someone. He and JJ had spent many Saturdays at the park with Jack and Henry, he would sorely miss that if she got involved with someone.

"Are you kidding?" Reid asked incredulously, "After Will, I bet she never dates again. She had me watch Henry for a couple of days, after….after it happened, but there's no way she would be dating someone so soon." He declared.

"Isn't there a rule about inter-team profiling?" Hotch asked, startling the three others.

"Doesn't count, man. She's not on the 'team' technically." Morgan pointed out. Hotch had to concede that point, JJ was only assigned to the BAU as she technically worked for the Media Relations department.

"And, she's not a profiler." Reid defended.

"What's your guess Hotch?" Emily asked.

"Whatever women do. Maybe she's taking a sewing class or like a cake decorating class or something." Hotch proposed to questioning looks from his subordinates.

"Ok, who's up for a profiling challenge?" Emily asked after a moment, her eyes shining wickedly, "I say we each put $100 in the pot for whoever finds out what JJ's really doing after work."

Morgan and Reid nodded immediately, "I've so got this." Morgan muttered. If anyone knew what was going on with JJ it was his Baby Girl, and she wouldn't keep secrets from him.

"And, no going to Garcia." Reid added quickly.

"Hey, that's an afterthought, not an official rule." Morgan smirked.

"Why? Don't think you can figure it out on your own? If you get Garcia, we all get Garcia." Emily countered. "Hotch? You in?"

"It would be inappropriate for me to profile someone for money." Hotch replied, not adding that he would definitely find out what JJ was hiding, though he wouldn't do it for money.

"Whatever." Emily dismissed, turning to the others as JJ left Garcia's office, "Let's go get Garcia."

The four of them quickly made their way to the lair where Garcia spent the bulk of her time, outsmarting all with her vast amounts of knowledge, all from her desk top. Morgan smiled to himself. Garcia would totally sell out JJ for him. He had this in the bag. "Hey, Sugar Mama, why is JJ's kid here with you?" Morgan asked sweetly.

Emily shook her head, hoping that Garcia would not collapse in the midst of Morgan's flirtation--not that she didn't want to know, she just didn't want the woman to cave so easily.

"Because JJ asked me to watch my handsome godson while she ran out and did some things." Garcia said matter-of-factly.

"What kind of things?" Morgan asked innocently. He was still hoping that JJ wasn't doing some things but some ones. He would love to be right about JJ having a secret relationship while Emily, who was supposed to be one of JJ's best friends, thought she was exercising.

"Things that you are going to need a court order to hear about, Sweetness." Garcia informed him affectionately. "I am like the crypt. All this brilliance is not to be shared with the outside world. Mere mortals would not be able to handle the power."

"Baby Girl…."Morgan whined, pouting his lips, attempting to sway Garcia.

"Nothing doing." Garcia replied seriously. She was not about to leak the only kept secret in the entire BAU. It was too fun to watch the profilers finally not know something that she did.

"Why won't she tell us?" Reid asked confused at why JJ would not tell him something. He was after all, Henry's godfather, what if JJ's escapades effecting Henry? Then it would definitely be Reid's business.

"Because she would feel embarrassed. Can't a girl just keep something to herself?" Garcia defended as if it were obvious.

Emily quickly realized that they were getting nowhere with the technical analyst so attempted to use a different tactic. "Wow! He's getting so big!" Emily cried, sitting down next to Henry who was playing with blocks. "Aren't you Mr. Henry." Emily cooed, ignoring the questioning glares of her male colleagues.

"I know! It seems like yesterday he was this itty bitty baby, then he's crawling and has teeth, and now he's walking!" Garcia said proudly.

"So do you watch him a lot?" Emily asked casually.

"Yep, every night when all of you aren't on a case, but just for—" Garcia stopped as she realized that she revealed way more than she intended. "YOU! You tricked me! No more! I'm not telling you anymore." She insisted angrily as she pointed angrily at Emily. "Now out!"

"Well, points for you Miss Prentiss." Morgan commented, walking out of the Technical Analysts office as they continued to devise a plan. "I say we follow her. We shouldn't have a case tomorrow, so tomorrow night?"

"A stakeout!" Reid shouted excitedly as the others groaned, remembering being holed up in a car with him for far too long.

*************************

Hotch mused in his car as he drove home, racking his brain for any differences that JJ may have exhibited. One major one stood out in his mind, though he wasn't sure why.

_"He's a power-excitation rapist, he wouldn't have asked her 'How did I do'?" Emily dismissed the suggestion that the latest rape in the area was connected to their serial rapist._

_"A what?" Detective Lee asked angrily. The profilers tended to get a little focused on certain things and forgot that their jargon wasn't always used by every agency._

_Hotch waited for a moment for someone to explain to the poor detective, but when silence met him for longer than he would have liked, he prepared to answer the detective while the others continued to pour over case files._

_His explanation was cut off by JJ who spoke softly, assuming that the others had tuned her out. "Power-Excitation rapists want to hurt people as much as they can. It makes them feel powerful to cause pain to their victims, the more the better." She explained. Hotch couldn't help but be impressed with her explanation._

_"There's another kind of rapist, a power-reassurance rapist, that feels like he's in a relationship with his victims." JJ continued, seeing the detective calm as he understood what the others were trying to tell him. "That's the type that would ask the woman how his performance was. She's just saying that the suspect can't be both, so the rapes can't be related." As she finished, the detective nodded. Hotch caught her eye and smiled encouragingly._

She had been slightly embarrassed as he offered her a slight nod in praise. When he asked her about it later, she had just said that she had picked some things up from the team, which he laughed and encouraged her to take the profiling classes once more. She smirked proudly to herself at that suggestion, but again politely declined.

******************

"Ok, there she goes." Reid stated as the bullpen doors closed behind JJ.

"Let's go." Emily said as she grabbed her keys.

They followed her for almost twenty minutes, always maintaining a safe tailing distance. Surprise graced the features of all three profilers as JJ stopped at a local diner.

"See! I bet she's meeting somebody!" Morgan said excitedly.

"Yeah, that's about as likely as JJ getting a job at the diner to pay the bills." Emily muttered, hoping that she would not have to admit defeat.

"If she's meeting someone, why does she have four cups of coffee?" Reid asked as the clerk handed JJ the large cups.

"Maybe he really likes coffee?" Morgan offered. The trio ducked slightly when JJ exited the diner and walked towards the car.

Knocking slightly on their window, she laughed lightly, "Why are you guys following me?"

"Because you have a secret." Reid admitted, causing Morgan and Emily to glare at him.

"Well, you're not finding out what it is. But, here's some coffee. Good night!" JJ smiled, hoping into her car and heading back to the BAU to pick up Henry from Garcia.

"She may have won the battle, but we will win this war." Emily promised.

**********************

"Fancy meeting you here." JJ chuckled softly as she handed Hotch a cup of hot coffee. Henry loved to crawl around outside, and the park was a perfect place to let him 'play'. It had started many months ago when she and Hotch would mysteriously run into each other on a Saturday morning, but now it had become routine.

They chatted amiably as they kept their eyes on their respective children. Finally, Hotch felt brave enough to broach the question that had been plaguing him.

"So, Emily, Morgan, and Reid are a little obsessed with your personal life?"

"A little? They followed me from work yesterday! I noticed they were following me as soon as I walked out of the bullpen, so I led them to my favorite coffee shop."

Hotch laughed heartily, "I bet they were surprised by that."

"Yep. But, now I've got Morgan trying to invite me to his Hand-to-Hand Training Classes, Reid asking me to join his book clubs, and Emily asking me to join her for drinks every night of the week." JJ moaned. "All because they want to know what I do in my free time."

"What do you do in your free time?" Hotch asked casually.

"Not you too!" JJ laughed, "Why do you all care so much? It's embarrassing!"

"We just care about you. So, what's going on?"

JJ fell silent a moment at his question. "Why do you want to know?" She asked directly.

"Because, I'm curious." He lied. The truth was he wanted to know everything he could about her.

"Oh." She said lamely, she had definitely hoped that he would have said something more. "Well, Henry and I should just go." She stood.

"JJ, wait—" He tried to stop her, but it was too late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

**_AN/Sorry, this idea was given by 'Izzie . ss', FF doesn't like me, so I don't know what happened there :) A lot of you guessed JJ's secret, and probably even more than the PMs that I got guessed it right. So, without further ado, Enjoy!_**

* * *

JJ smiled. It had been almost a month since the entire unit made it their mission to discover her secret, and she was fairly certain that they were no closer than they had been a month ago. With only three people in the entire unit (herself being one of them) that knew her secret, she felt relatively safe. It wasn't that she wanted to tell David Rossi or Penelope Garcia, but they would have found out anyway and it was better for her to be able to swear them both to secrecy than to worry about them blowing the entire thing.

She looked over her shoulder, making sure that she was not facing another impromptu 'Stake out', and entered the FBI academy. She saw Agent Anderson walking down the hall. If he knew what JJ was up to, her secret would be lost. "Hey Anderson."

"Hey JJ, what are you doing here?" He asked happily, hoping to walk her to wherever she was going. Something that wasn't a secret in the BAU was Anderson's crush on the blonde liaison.

"Oh, I just had to talk to Rossi, he is teaching his class tonight and I need his signature." JJ lied easily, she'd told more lies to cover up what she did on her free nights than she did her entire time in the FBI before it.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked hopefully.

"No, I'll be just fine." JJ said, walking quickly away from the junior agent. "Have a great night."

"Bye JJ." Anderson said, turning around to say something else but she was already long gone.

* * *

"Today's lecture is on Gary Ridgeway, commonly known as---" Rossi left the statement hanging, hoping that one of his profiling students would fill in the blank.

"The Green River Killer." JJ filled in.

"Very good Agent Jareau." Rossi smiled encouragingly. JJ was truthfully the top of the class, even without being Rossi's obvious favorite. In David Rossi's opinion, JJ should have been a profiler years ago, she was showing extreme talent. "What was his victim type?"

"Women, nearly all prostitutes." JJ said again, continuing, "But this is not surprising because prostitutes tend to be the most common victim type."

"Correct." Rossi said, adding under his breath "--as always." JJ beamed slightly, she was glad that she was good at this profiling game. "If someone was going to copy Ridgeway's crimes, what would you look for in a profile."

JJ knew the answer, but sunk down in seat anyway. She had promised herself that she would restrict herself to a three question maximum. JJ knew it was juvenile, but JJ really didn't want to be classified as a suck up. The class remained quiet for a few minutes before Rossi interrupted the loaded silence. "Agent Jareau, what would you look for?"

"Well, most copy-cats aren't those that you'd normally suspect. School-shooters, those that have suicidal tendencies and usually in their late teens or early twenties…" JJ explained, "So, I'd probably look for school records, recluses and loners. I'd probably look at the newest crimes, trying to see what the copy-cat fixated on—like if all of the victims were prostitutes, he would likely be a male, 18-25."

Rossi nodded, impressed. "That was kind of a trick question, it's hard to profile without actual victims, you make a very good point."

Rossi continued the lecture, and JJ once again found that she didn't have to take the copious notes she was used to. Most of the applications of profiles were things she had experienced with the team several times. Finally, at the end of the class, Rossi approached her.

"JJ, nice job." He said sincerely.

"Thanks." She blushed slightly, "Now, the others are starting to wonder about my personal life, so if you can just make sure—"

"Make sure I don't tell them." He finished for her, and added, "You'd think we had only had this conversation for the first time. But here's another topic that I'm sure you're sick of--"

She rolled her eyes and spoke before he could finish. "Don't even start. I don't want to be a profiler, so I don't need to be certified. I just want to be able to do my job better."

"But all you need is to have a senior profiler review a profile for a case!" Rossi pointed out, this discussion seemed to happen after every class.

"Don't you think I know that? I'd have you do it if I could, but you're the teacher, so I can't. I'm not asking anybody to look over my shoulder while I know how much other paperwork they've got to do." JJ insisted again.

"Paperwork can wait—" Rossi continued the too familiar argument.

"Like I've said a million times. I do not want to join the BAU profiler's club. I just want to be able to help more. I want to be more than 'eye-candy' for the team." JJ rebutted.

Rossi's eyebrows shot up in surprise, this was a new development. "Who ever called you 'eye-candy'? You do a lot for the unit—"

"Rossi, I'm not saying that I don't do my job at all, I just want to do it better."

"JJ, why are you so content to be living below your potential?" Rossi asked, using the concerned teacher rouse.

"Don't you even start that!" JJ shouted incredulously, "First you are telling me that I do my job fine and now I am living below my potential?" JJ shook her head in laughter. "You are so stubborn!"

"Says the woman who will not finish the profiling program because she doesn't want to ask her coworkers for help." Rossi shot back.

"This isn't about asking for help." JJ tried to persuade, "I. Do. Not. Want. To. Be. A. Profiler." JJ said, annunciating every word.

"Then why are you taking the class?"

"We've already been through this! I am taking this class because I love my job, and I want to do everything that I can to do my job the best I can." JJ tried to explain. When she fought with Rossi, it was always like she was running around in circles. "You know what? I'm going home so I won't have to hear the rest of your sermon. See you tomorrow." JJ said, turning to walk out the door.

Rossi groaned loudly, not understanding what Hotch saw in the stubborn woman. He wasn't blind and he definitely saw the attraction between the two, even if they were both too stubborn and jaded to make a move on their own.

* * *

"Hey, Rossi." Emily knocked softly on his office door the next morning.

"What can I help you with?" Rossi asked kindly, carefully manuvering the profiling class list far from her view.

"Hotch said you might be looking for someone to come in and do a guest part for your class tonight, I just wanted you to know that I'm free." She offered kindly. Rossi remembered the discussion with Hotch that it would be a good idea for his students to see different methods of arriving at the same profile, but he knew that a certain student wouldn't be too happy that her secret was blown.

Then again, Rossi thought to himself, if Emily knew, then JJ might be able to finally pass his class after almost six months--twice longer than most students, though she had covered the material in a quarter of the time. "Come by the academy at ten after five." He instructed, keeping his face impassive and added deviously, "All the students should be there by then."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

**_AN/I hope you like it!_**

* * *

The next evening JJ found her seat in the profiling class, excited at the potential subject matter of the BTK killer. Oddly, three minutes into class Rossi still had yet to show up. Finally he walked in and JJ immediately sunk in her chair, wishing that the earth would swallow her up.

"Class, I would like to introduce you to Agent Emily Prentiss." Rossi said smiling as he entered the room with Emily following close behind.

"Hi, I recently completed the requirements to become a Senior Profiler, so I'm honored to have the chance to speak with you today." Emily said, smiling looking at her notes, still not yet having noticed JJ. "As you know, a year after completing the requirements in this class---" She stopped as her eyes met JJ's. Emily smiled in triumph. So _this _ was where JJ had been hiding out.

Emily took a breath and began her lecture. She would blackmail JJ after the class was over, for right now, she had to get through the class.

* * *

As the students filed out of the classroom, JJ tried unsuccessfully to get out before she had to face Emily. She tried to think of any excuse she could use in order to explain why she was here. But, before she could get away, she was cornered by Rossi and Emily.

"So, profiling classes." Emily said smugly. She couldn't wait to tell Morgan and Reid about what she'd found out.

"Emily...." JJ pleaded.

Rossi decided that now was the perfect opportunity to involve her in the epic battle that he had been fighting with JJ from the moment she walked into the class. "JJ here is my star pupil."

"Rossi." JJ said with gritted teeth. She wanted nothing less than Emily aiding Rossi in the attempt at making her a profiler.

"JJ, why didn't you tell me that you were taking the profiling classes? I would've helped you!" Emily blurted excitedly.

"Because..." JJ racked her brain for the exact reason why she didn't tell the team, but couldn't really remember at the moment.

"Because she is as stubborn as a mule and refuses to do what it takes to get her certification. Really, all she needs is to have someone from the team to review a profile on the case, and she's done." Rossi informed Emily.

"JJ that's ridiculous! We'd all be willing to help you out." Emily said, and added with a smile "I'm sure Hotch would get you a job as a profiler." Emily knew that there was no way the unit cheif would let JJ walk away from the BAU. First, she was too large of an asset to the team, and second, being around JJ seemed to be the only enjoyment Hotch got out of the day--he wouldn't give it up without a fight.

Remembering exactly why she hadn't told Emily, JJ spoke up. "I don't want to be a profiler. I'm only doing this to help me do my job better. I just didn't want anybody to know." JJ couldn't believe how conniving Rossi was. Bringing Emily into this thing was low, very low.

"Jayje, you'd be so good at it. Please, let me help." Emily begged.

"I don't _want _to be good at it! I like my job, I like my role, and I don't want to profile, I just want to be more of a help to the team." JJ tried to explain, suddenly very aware that she was going to have the same fight with Emily that she'd had almost every night with Rossi.

"Being certified can't hurt. Really, all it does is give you more career options." Emily tried to presuade her friend.

"But being certified would mean that the entire team would know, and I like things the way they are." JJ pointed out, this conversation felt _exactly_like the countless conversations she'd had with Rossi who was currently standing back smiling at not having to be the major opposing force against JJ.

"You'd finally be included in the 'no interteam profiling' rule." Emily insisted. _"JJ is being ridiculous." _She thought to herself, incapable of comprehending that some people did not want to be profilers.

"Big whoop." JJ said, rolling her eyes, suddenly understanding what Emily had said. "Wait, I wasn't before?"

Emily shook her head. "You and Garcia are exempt." She could see some anger riling inside of the blonde agent, and Emily hoped that it would be enough to throw this argument in her direction.

"That is a load..." JJ began before Rossi cut her off.

"JJ, you wouldn't be exempt anymore if you'd just get your stupid certification." Rossi said, hoping that it sway JJ's stubborn opinion.

JJ shook her head at the two profilers. "I'm not going to get my certification just so that you'll leave me alone."

"Why are you even taking the classes?" Emily asked rhetorically.

"Because-I-Want-To-Be-Better-At-My-Job." JJ responded, enunciating every word. "This is about supplementing the career I already have." _I've had this exact same conversation with Rossi almost every night for the past month. _JJ thought to herself, slightly irritated.

"Just wait until I tell Hotch." Emily threatened, she knew of JJ's crush and she was going to use it to her advantage. In truth, she was sure that the attractive unit chief would be the only person to whom JJ would even consider listening to.

"You can't tell Hotch! I told you, I'm trying to keep this secret." JJ pleaded, seeing that she was getting no where, she tried a different avenue. "I'll tell the team when I'm ready, I just need more time."

"JJ, you're ready now. You've been ready for nearly three months." Rossi reminded her, hoping Prentiss wouldn't actually buy JJ's pathetic lie.

"JJ, I will even review your case, I won't tell anyone else. I swear. And then you'll be a certified profiler." Emily promised, although she was almost partial to Hotch reviewing JJ's case, it seemed like the kind of thing that could spark a relationship between the two. While work for normal human beings didn't seem like a scene for romance, Hotch and JJ were big enough workaholics that if they didn't get together during work, they wouldn't get together at all. But drastic measures had to be taken when trying to reason with crazy media liaisons.

Both profilers eyed JJ excitedly, while she stood in silence. "FINE!" She groaned "If only to get Rossi off my back! But Emily, You can't tell anyone about this." JJ swore her friend to secrecy.

"Fine." Emily rolled her eyes, then couldn't help the small grin that spread across her face. _"Now to get JJ and Hotch to get together--I'm sure Garcia will help." _She thought deviously.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds.**

**_AN/I just want to thank every body for the awesome reviews! I totally appreciate it!_**

* * *

"I'm out." Emily said, slamming Morgan and Reid's money onto Morgan's desk. Emily had been keeping the pool of money in her desk drawer since they had made the bet, but now that she had no interest in it, she thought it would be best if someone still part of it kept the money. She also wanted them to know that for all of their mocking her, she had found out before the rest of them.

"Why?" Morgan asked, confused at what could change Emily's mind. The brunette was well known in the BAU for her love to gamble.

"Because." Emily taunted wickedly. Morgan and Reid's heads shot up immeadiatly, their mouths wide open in surprise.

"YOU KNOW?" Reid questioned excitedly, ready to finally find out where JJ had been going all these weeks.

"Maybe." Emily smiled coyly.

"She _told _you?" Morgan moaned, cursing the 'girls' club' of the BAU.

"No, she didn't _tell_ me. I just found out." Emily defended.

"What is it? Is the girl getting some? 'cause if so, the money's mine." Morgan asked, ready to claim his winnings. "Who's she sleeping with?"

"Hotch." Reid said automatically, looking for a confirmation from Prentiss to see if they were on the right track.

"I wish. Then he wouldn't be here to critisize my consoltations." Emily admitted regretfully. "Actually, I'm not really at liberty to say anything." She had really been looking forward to seeing the look on Morgan's face when he found out JJ was becoming a profiler, now she would just have to wait and see.

_"Not at liberty to say?"_ Morgan asked incredulously.

"She made me promise." Emily defended.

"But that doesn't mean you can't give us a hint." Morgan said deviously

"Ok, fine. I was _shocked _when I found out what JJ was doing, but I wasn't _surprised._" The two men stared at her as if she had grown another set of ears. While she just grinned at them triumphantly. She _had_ been shocked that JJ was taking the profiling lessons--it seemed something totally out of character for the blond, especially since she had always insisted she didn't want to become a profiler. But, she hadn't been surprised--JJ was already a better profiler than a lot of the people in various field offices.

"Emily, those are the same word!" Morgan practically whined.

"Actually, to be shocked suggests something that jars the mind or emotions as if with a violent unexpected blow, whereas to be surprised suggests a completely unexpected occurrence, appearance, or statement." Reid recited from the dictionary.

"I _don't_ need a vocabulary lesson" Morgan snapped at Reid, then turned to Emily. "Come on, give me something else."

"Okay, I found out what it was last night." Emily relented, but added, "That's probably more than I should be telling you."

Morgan scoffed in disdain. While Reid seemed momentarily lost in thought. Suddenly, Reid's eyes widened and he asked "You mean she's--" He began to ask, but Emily knew he had figured it out and interrupted.

"Yes. But don't tell _anyone!" _Emily insisted as though Morgan wasn't there.

"Wait! What just happened. My man, come on!" Morgan begged but Reid just smiled knowingly, happy to have beaten Derek Morgan at a profiling game.

* * *

"Hey, Hotch, are you ready?" JJ stood outside his door, reminding him of their lunch 'appointment'.

"Sorry, yes. I got caught up in a case file, our briefing." He reminded himself.

It was a weekly occurrance, JJ and Hotch getting together for lunch to discuss the direction the BAU should take. Recently, the lunches seemed to happen with more frequency, but both chalked it up to a desire to do their respective jobs better. They walked to the small restaurant in focused conversation, but the mood continually brightened as the meal progressed. Finally, Hotch couldn't take it anymore. He had to ask the question that had plagued him for weeks.

"So did you have fun doing whatever you did last night?" Hotch tried to ask casually but was met with a scoff from the blonde.

"Seriously? You too? Ok, lay it on me. What does everyone think I've been doing?" She asked.

"Well, Emily thought you were exercising." He said first, trying to gague her reaction.

She laughed out right. "I _need _to be exercising, but that is definitely not what I'm doing. Next?"

"I thought you were learning to sew or knit or something like that." He smiled.

"You think I'd fill my free time with yarn and needles? I think not. Next?" She laughed as the waiter approached them, her friends really were so far off the mark.

"Reid thought you were going back to school." Hotch scoffed slightly at that, taking the check from the waiter and didn't bother to monitor her behavior.

JJ tried to control herself, "Really, why would he think that?" She asked lamely, trying to deflect attention away from herself. It was so close--too close for comfort. She should have known that of anyone, Reid would guess the closest.

"Something about the pursuit of knowledge in improving our cognitive abilities." Hotch smiled, redirecting his attention to her, then added the last theory that had a pit in his stomach. "Derek thought you might be seeing someone." He tried to brace himself for the possible rejection.

"Yeah right." JJ laughed. "Seriously? That's as bad as exercising." Then noticing the look in Hotch's eyes, gasped, "You thought I was seeing someone!" She grinned widely.

"Well, you are an attractive woman and--"

"And I'm spending my lunch break with you. I see you on Saturday afternoons with the boys. Sometimes you and I have movie nights on Sundays with Henry. I'm pretty sure that if I were in a relationship with anyone _you_ of all people would know about it." JJ pointed out laughing.

Hotch chuckled too, incredibly lightened at the revelation that JJ was not only single, but that she would have revealed her potential dating life to him. "Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board."

* * *

"Emily, can I see you in my office?" JJ asked the moment she came back from lunch, eyeing Emily so she would know not to argue.

"Sure." Emily smiled, hoping that this would be her chance to review JJ's case file.

She followed JJ silently to her office, closing the door quietly behind her. JJ sat down at her desk, and reached for the bottom drawer. Grabbing a stack of ten files, Emily groaned slightly, thinking that JJ just wanted to give her more consultations.

JJ held onto the files protectively, and eyed Emily warily, "you promised you wouldn't tell anyone." She glared.

"I know. I won't tell anyone." Emily smiled, realizing that not only had JJ completed the profile for _a _case, but she had done it for several. She chuckled to herself lightly, it would be just like the media liaison to not only do what was necessary to pass the class, but to achieve far beyond anyone's possible expectations.

JJ reluctantly handed the files over to her friend, "Emily. I'm serious, please don't tell anyone." She practically begged.

"I won't." Emily promised again, and sat in the chair across from JJ while she studied the files. She whistled slightly in awe after the first case file was complete, "JJ, this is perfect--you've done all of these?" She asked in shock as she moved to the second file.

"There are some cases we can't justify using the entire team. Others, I can't really even justify adding to everybody's loads of consults." She explained. "So, this is part of why I wanted to do the class. I call the detectives and let them know that the team can't provide a profile, but that I've been around you all enough that I will take a look at it. They're so grateful to have somebody listening and helping that they have always agreed."

"Well, I'm taking these to Rossi and you're getting your certification." Emily promised excitedly.

"That's what I'm afraid of." JJ mumbled slightly after Emily had left her office.

* * *

**_AN/ As always, I'd love to know what you think!_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_AN/So, I still don't like the fact that I don't own Criminal Minds--but we all have to deal :)_**

* * *

"JJ, do you have a minute?" Rossi knocked softly on JJ's office door.

"No, I'm busy." JJ said flatly.

Rossi ignored her instruction and entered anyway, "I thought you might like to see--"

"Dave, I'm preparing busy preparing the next briefing, I've only got a few minutes until everybody is going to be in the conference room. I'm really busy." JJ dismissed him.

"So, you don't want a copy of your certification?" Rossi ignored her dismissal and held out the paper. He chuckled as JJ snatched the paper from his grasp and looked over it happily.

"When did you get it?" She asked excitedly.

"About five minutes ago." Rossi said honestly, "I brought it here immediately--we should celebrate with the team!" He suggested, imagining a certain Unit Chief's definite excitement at learing a new connection with his friend.

"No!" JJ cried incredulously, carefully placing her certificate inside her desk.

"Why not?" Rossi asked exasperatedly.

"Because I have to brief the team in," she looked down at her watch, "three minutes and then we've got an important case---I'll tell them afterwards." JJ justified.

"You are so infuriating!" Rossi groaned, "I really think you should tell them--they'd be proud of you!" He insisted.

"Maybe I don't want them to be proud of me." JJ muttered.

"Well, fine. I'll tell them not to be proud of you and we can tell them now." Rossi proposed.

"I will tell them after the case." JJ said definitely.

Rossi just eyed her critically, their routine argument getting really old.

"Look, I promise--once this case is over." JJ promised, "But please, until then--"

"I won't say anything." Rossi grumbled the familiar end to the conversation.

* * *

Emily blew out her breath in disgust--_they had nothing!_--this guy was not only all over the map, he was outside the map.

Looking over at the media liaison and Unit Chief talking quietly in the corner over the press briefing that JJ had handled masterfully, Emily smirked slightly to herself at the sight of them together. THEY WERE SO CLUELESS! Suddenly, she was hit by an idea. Grinning broadly, she called to her friend loudly.

"JJ, have you looked at the case file?" Emily asked, feeling the odd looks of her colleagues--of _course_ JJ had looked over the case--she had _selected_ the case.

"Yeah, I have." JJ said cautiously, "Why?"

"Well, do you think we're missing something? If you were looking at it, what would you add to the profile?" Emily asked, smiling as she saw realization dawn in JJ's eyes and the pure look of hatred that was thrown her way.

"I don't--" JJ started.

"No, JJ, I think we'd all like to hear your opinion." Rossi smiled wickedly, immediately catching Emily's plan.

"No. Really." JJ insisted, "you guys are the profilers."

"Actually, the most detrimental thing to cognitive activity is repetitive thinking. A new perspective could help immeasurably." Reid smirked, happy to be in on the secret.

"It's not like it could hurt anything," Morgan prodded obliviously, "come on, JJ."

JJ threw a death glare at Emily and Rossi and then sighed resignedly, "Well, there was one thing that I was wondering about, but I'm sure that you guys have already looked at it."

"Why don't you tell us JJ?" Reid encouraged, patronizing the blonde liaison. He was extremely grateful that JJ wouldn't dare shoot him while Hotch was watching, because the look she gave him said that if the unit cheif wasn't there--he'd be walking on one leg.

"Well, everything suggests this guy is an organized killer except for the marbles thrown at the side of the victim, right?" JJ started, seeing the encouraging nods, continued "but what if he's not throwing the marbles at the side, what if he's actually placing them in a specific pattern?"

"That would suggest a level of organization that we haven't seen in many unsubs." Rossi thought out loud.

"I was thinking along the lines of OCD--Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He's killing people methodically, what makes us think that it can't be part of a larger compulsion." JJ concluded.

The five profilers sat in silence, staring at the blonde in surprise. "Morgan call Garcia ask her to cross check the list of suspects with OCD perscriptions or diagnoses." Hotch commanded with finality.

The group scrambled at the implications that JJ's suggestion had brought. If he was acting under a compulsion, there must have been other patterns to connect the victims, patterns the team could use to find the next possible victim.

* * *

Sure enough, JJ had been right. Another victim had been saved, all thanks to the media liaison that was currently fielding final questions from the media. Finishing her press conference, JJ answered a call as Rossi could barely contain himself.

"I think JJ has an announcement for all of us." He suggested as he gathered the team. Emily and Reid smirked knowingly, as all waited for JJ to finish her call and reveal her secret to the team.

They watched as JJ maintained composure, though she did appear to be struggling slightly. Rossi deduced that it was nervousness for telling the team that threw JJ off her game slightly. Ending the call, JJ slowly approached the team. Sighing deeply, she struggled slightly.

"JJ, don't you have something to tell us?" Rossi asked excitedly.

"Yeah, come on JJ, I think we all have the right to know." Emily encouraged.

"JJ, what is it?" Hotch asked, not particularly enjoying being on the oblivious end of the group.

"I've been transferred." JJ announced as the others stared at her in shock.

* * *

_**AN/I know that this is short, but I thought this was the perfect place to end it--hope you liked it!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_AN/ A special thanks goes out to my good pal SSBAILEY who let me bounce some ideas off her. _**

Emily laughed slightly as the words she had been expecting were not said. Seeing JJ's serious look, she shook herself back to reality. "Wait, what?"

"I've been transfered." JJ restated, as though trying to convince herself. "To the Oregon Field Office. I have to report to work in two weeks."

"There must be some mistake, I didn't approve a transfer out of this unit--" Hotch began as JJ's cell phone rang again.

Answering the call, the group could easily hear a frantic Penelope Garcia on the other line "I don't know how this happened!" She screamed.

JJ smiled at the group, all of them in shock, and placed her phone on speaker.

"Garcia, can you explain this mama?" Morgan asked quickly.

"I...No." Garcia was on the verge of tears as she looked for any way that this could possibly be a mistake. "Strauss hand delivered the order herself. Jayje has been specifically requested. It didn't even enter the system until a minute ago."

"Garcia, it's okay. Really. Transfers happen." JJ tried to assure them all. Sure it was surprising, but it wasn't unheard of.

"Not in my unit they don't" Rossi said gruffly, unwilling to allow one of the finest profilers he had ever worked with to move half-way across the country.

"Did you put in for a transfer?" Hotch asked, trying to make sense of what was happening and attempting to ignore the growing pit in his stomach at the thought of JJ moving across the country.

"No."

"Then something must have changed." Morgan mused, trying to figure out why the bureau would possibly move JJ so far away.

Suddenly, Emily slugged Rossi's arm "This is all _your _fault!" She insisted, "If you hadn't pushed her to get the certification, she wouldn't be transfered." Emily could feel her own tears starting to well up. JJ had been the first person to accept her, a real genuine friend.

"You're the one who signed off on her profile!" Rossi retorted angrily, then looked around sheepishly.

Hotch's face remained impassive, though the gears were turning in his head.

"Wait, JJ, are you taking the profiling classes?" Morgan asked as he finally pieced together JJ's secret.

"Took, and passed." Reid corrected him.

"And whose fault is that!" Garcia shouted over the receiver, siding with Emily. While deep down the women knew it wasn't his fault, it was nice to have a scapegoat. He'd pushed JJ through it, and now, JJ was going to be rocking a raincoat for the rest of her life.

"She took it on her own free will!" Rossi defended, not knowing how this entire thing became his fault. Morgan congratulated JJ while the others continued their argument.

"Oh, you'd like to think that!" Emily shot back furiously.

JJ couldn't take it anymore. "Emily, Garcia, it really isn't his fault. It's nobody's, but the fact remains that I'm getting transferred." JJ said, hoping to dissolve the tension. "Its life in the FBI, you've got to be prepared to be transferred in a moment's notice." JJ gave a tentative smile, waiting for it to be returned.

"Yeah, I was prepared for you to transfer to Counter-Terrorism, Missing Persons maybe, but you are going to OREGON!" Garcia shouted. "What even is in Oregon? The only thing I know about Oregon is the stupid computer game that I played when I was a kid."

"The Oregon Trail game?" Reid asked excitedly. "I used to play that too! We..." Reid stopped when he saw the glares he was getting from his colleagues. This was one of those times Morgan warned him about, where his expertise and personal anecdotes were far from welcome.

"What do they neede a media liaison for in Oregon?" Rossi spat angrily.

"I'm uh--I'm not going to be a media liaison anymore, though I've been informed that I'll probably have to do that job too until they can find more people." JJ said delicately.

"So what is your assignment?" Morgan asked.

"I'm the profiling coordinator." JJ smiled slightly at the sound. "It's a promotion--"

"Three thousand miles away!" Garcia was slightly freaking out, her best friend was _leaving!_

"It's not so bad...." JJ started, then stopped at the looks of those that she had come close with "Okay, it is bad, but it's not the end of the world."

Hotch spoke for the first time in what felt like hours. "Congratulations JJ, I'm sure you'll do great work in Oregon." Hotch said, masking all emotion. He left the precinct quickly, not waiting for JJ's response.

JJ stood still for a moment, oblivious to the world around her, feeling more than slightly rejected. She wasn't sure about how she felt about her transfer; part of her was excited, she had gotten a promotion that would've been completely out of reach earlier. This was going to be a huge leap in her career. But she couldn't fight the sadness that had washed over her. She loved her team and she was moved that they were all so opposed to her leaving. Except Hotch. It hurt more than she was willing to admit that he wasn't going to fight for her.

JJ was an adult, she knew better than to expect her 'White Knight' to be riding in to save her, but it didn't stop her from wanting it. Cliche or not, she wanted Hotch to beg her not to leave, whether it be as a friend or something more. She wanted him to care, and not to be able to think of life without JJ. All she needed was a measly 'Hey JJ, I'll miss you.' and she didn't even get that. She was alright with him not feeling the same way she did, but wouldn't he miss her--at least as a friend?

She realized that the rest of the team was still there, watching her brood in silence. Something she had learned through her profiling classes was that you can't turn off being a profiler. They were all watching her and knew exactly what she was thinking and feeling. They all knew that she was reeling from Hotch's apparent disconcern. JJ didn't think she could take it anymore. "I think I left something in the conference room. I'm gonna go grab it." JJ muttered as the group scattered, letting her through. She knew it wasn't over, she would eventually have to talk more about the transfer with them. But for right now, all she wanted was to be alone.


	7. Chapter 7

"Strauss, you have to fix this." Rossi burst into the Section Chief's office.

"Fix what?" Erin Strauss asked feigning ignorance.

"You transfered Agent Jareau. Fix it." Rossi commanded.

"David, I'm sorry you're upset, but the order has already gone through. My hands are tied." Strauss tried to hide her happiness at ruffling David Rossi's feathers without him being able to threaten her--she was just doing her job.

"There has to be something you can do. The BAU is exponentially better with a competent liaison, and Jennifer Jareau is as good as they come. She is specially trained for our unit and I don't think its in the Bureau's best interest to transfer her." Rossi tried to reason, hoping Strauss would change her mind. He knew she held a petty vendetta against the BAU, but he hoped that she would realize how ridiculous this whole thing was. Striking genius, he decided to try another approach. "Erin, she is the face of our unit. She represents the BAU and she does it well. And while you may forget this, the BAU represents you. You're the section chief over us, and if the BAU begins to fail, you reputation will as well. I hope you'll reconsider."

The smug grin on Strauss's face immediately began to disappear. She grimaced at what he had said. Rossi was right, if Agent Jareau's replacement was a failure then it would be her ambitions and reputation that would take a hit. She was torn at what to do. She could either give into the arrogant David Rossi or she could risk her future. "We can find a skilled replacement."

Rossi stared at the woman contemptuously. He had thrown out his best material and Strauss was holding onto her foolish stance stubbornly. He tried to find anything that could change her mind. He had already tried appealing to her pride, and came out empty handed, there was nothing else he could think of that would make Strauss even consider taking a second look into the transfer. "You are making a mistake. And for what? To get back at the only unit that doesn't grovel mindlessly at your beck and call...." He shouted angrily.

"I'm not doing this to punish the BAU, I am doing this for the good of the Bureau. Oregon asked specifically for Agent Jareau, and I think that she will do an excellent job there. Quite frankly, I find it selfish that instead of congratulating her on this giant success like a true friend and collegue, you're trying to undermine the decision made by FBI Brass. You must allow the FBI to do what is best for the whole, even if it may inconvenience your unit for a short time." Strauss countered calmly, her voice giving every indication that she had no intention on changing her mind.

Rossi was at loss for words, he stared at her, eyes penetrating right through her false reasons for why she wouldn't help. An imbecile could tell that it was because she was trying to punish Hotch and the team. But that was not what surprised him; What he couldn't believe that Strauss was accusing him of not caring about the well-being of the FBI or JJ. The only thing that would send Rossi on this hopeless mission was his knowledge that he was doing the right thing, for both JJ and the FBI. The BAU, one of the most recognizable and influential units in the entire FBI, and hindering it would lead to large complications for the entire Bureau.

Strauss broke the angry, tense silence tersely. "I'll be on the look out for an impressive replacement for Agent Jareau, but for now, I have work to do. I suggest you get out of my office." She lifted her hand, indicating the door and began reviewing the files piled onto her desk. Irate, Rossi got up and exited the woman's office. He knew Strauss was difficult, but this was an entire other story. Her tunnel vision was going to lead to the breaking up of his family. The team would not be the same without JJ. He agonized over how the next few months would be. He didn't know how the team would function, most specifically, he didn't know how Hotch would function without her.

He hadn't failed to notice how the younger man reacted to the news, mumbling congratulations and then avoiding the blonde agent. Rossi had known that Hotch and JJ held an attraction for each other, practically the entire FBI did. But after seeing Hotch's reaction, Rossi was sure that the connection was much deeper than he'd originally thought. He walked briskly to his own office, slamming the door behind him.

A few moments later, a knock came sofly onto his door. "Come in." Rossi shouted angrily.

"What is going on?" Hotch asked concerned. "I think counter-terrorism heard your door shut."

"Erin Strauss is the worst thing that has ever happened to the FBI." Rossi complained. "She isn't going to do anything about JJ's transfer. She's just going to let her go."

Hotch swallowed loudly. This wasn't news he wanted to hear. "JJ will do an excellent job in Oregon, maybe its best if we just let her go." Hotch said stoically, hoping that Rossi didn't see that he was telling himself that too. He couldn't stand the pit grinding in his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to beg JJ to stay; to figure out a way where she wasn't thousands of miles away from him. But he knew it was in vain, while he'd fallen hard for JJ, she was still getting over Will. Now, she'd find some guy in Oregon to give her heart to, and he'd be in D.C., thinking of her.

"You're seriously not going to do anything?" Rossi asked, his glare penetrating Hotch's every defense.

"What is there to do?" Hotch asked softly.

"I don't know, fight for her? Tell her you'll miss her? Talk to her? Take your pick!" Rossi said angrily.

"It's out of my hands." Hotch said lamely.

"Then you're a coward. You don't deserve her." Rossi said coldly as he walked out of his own office.

* * *

A week later, the team was celebrating JJ's goodbye party at the office--she was leaving the following day to get her apartment in Portland set up in order to be ready for work the next week. The entire team was shocked by how many agents were currently packed into the BAU bullpen. As JJ hugged the majority of the FBI, Emily silently came and stood next to Hotch, who was standing, watching JJ longingly.

"You still mad at Rossi?" Hotch asked, eyes never leaving JJ. For the last few weeks, Rossi had been recieving the brunt of Emily's and Garcia's anger. In the women's minds, if Rossi hadn't forced JJ to certify, she wouldn't have to go. It had led to some interesting briefings and phone calls, but lately the tension seemed to die down.

"No, I was only mad at him because I felt bad that I was the one who approved her profile. Now, I'm not mad him or myself." Emily admitted. "It isn't going to do any good being mad at him, Jayje is leaving anyway."

"It isn't your fault that JJ decided to take the classes." Hotch said bitterly. "You know she could fight the promotion if she really wanted to, the FBI can't force her to transfer if she filed a complaint. If Agent Jaraeu ends up in Oregon, in the end, it was her choice."

"I know. I talked to her about it a few days ago. She's going to go through with it." Emily replied sadly. JJ said that she had to go to Oregon because the last few weeks had shown her that there was nothing left for her in Virginia. Emily had begged, but she knew that anything she had to say wouldn't change JJ's mind, the only person who could was Hotch. And he was doing nothing.

"How could she leave the team?" Hotch asked, not caring for a response. He was trying hard to hide it, but he couldn't handle JJ's decision. He knew it was petty, but he was angry that JJ would choose to leave them--leave him.

"Why shouldn't she?" Emily retorted angrily. "You've given her no reason not to leave! What does it matter if she stays if you act like you don't care one way or another?"

"So what? If you're not mad at Rossi then it's my fault?" Hotch tried to deflect.

"Hotch, you love her. Please don't try to deny it, because I know the truth." Emily whispered, giving him a wry smile. "Why won't you just fight for her?"

"Emily, she's leaving." Hotch said, his voice pained at the idea that JJ was walking out of his life. "Anything I say won't change that."

"Do you really think that she doesn't care what you think?" Emily asked rhetorically, turning to him, she pleaded with him. "You might have more power over her decision than you may think." And with that, Prentiss turned around and walked away. Hotch stood there, contemplating for a few minutes. Was what Emily said true? Did he really have any power over JJ? It seemed like all his hopes were flying and falling at the same time. If he could have changed her decision, it was too late now. JJ was leaving, and all he could do was let her go.

Noticing that she had a rare moment alone, he walked up to her, still unsure of what to say. He stood there for a moment, then finally the words came out of his mouth without being able to stop them. "Congratulations JJ." He said, turning around quickly, he walked out of the bullpen--as far away from her as he could get.

Watching the retreating figure, JJ was engulfed by yet another one of her bureau friends' hugs. "So, you're really leaving?" Her friend, Agent Amy Stimpson asked.

Seeing the bullpen doors close behind a man she had once considered her friend, JJ could only murmur "Yeah, I'm leaving."

* * *

**_AN/I know, some of you are very angry that I'm making JJ move across the country, but never fear! Well, ok, I guess fear, because she really is moving, and Hotch really is staying, but it's not the end yet! Let me know what you think :)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_AN/ I don't own Criminal Minds._**

"So, JJ's really gone." Morgan said to Hotch, taking another sip from his beer, as they sat at the bar while the rest of the BAU had gone to play pool. The team had gone out for drinks after another long case, and it was the first time the entire team had been together since JJ's departure--the feeling of loss was overwhelming. They knew that their fluidity would take a hit when she left; it was to be expected when a valued member of a team left, and JJ was the glue that kept them going on most cases. But JJ's leaving had been much harder than anyone had expected; no one realized how much the team relied on her until she left. The temp agent was decent, she had done her job, but comparing her to JJ was like the difference between a candle and a forest fire. JJ was more intense, passionate about what she did. Agent Saunders just didn't have the brilliance nor the creativity that made JJ the best liaison the unit had ever known--_ever_.

"She's gone." Hotch nodded solemnly. He had been intense since JJ had walked out of the BAU, his anger rising at the smallest of situations and he often felt powerless to stop it. He knew it was wrong, and even when he had gone on a tirade and seen the formation of tears in Agent Anderson after the man failed to get his consult reports turned in correctly--Hotch knew he needed to back off, but he just couldn't find that middle ground that he always could when JJ was around. He wanted so badly to have JJ back, often daydreaming about her as she walked quickly from her office to the bullpen, telling the team cases before she had even had her first cup of coffee for the day. He thought of the times they spent together at the park, how she would laugh at Henry and Jack playing excitedly on the worn playground. He remembered the many meals they ate together--dinners eaten at ridiculous hours, and lunches that seemed far too short. He tried to purge his mind of the blonde, he couldn't live in a world of 'what ifs', wondering what would have happened if he had ever told JJ how he had felt.

"Have you talked to her?" Morgan asked, prying for any information that he could pass onto Garcia.

"No, why would I?" Hotch questioned, pretending like the thought of calling JJ hadn't been consuming his mind for the three weeks she'd been gone. He knew he was over acting, and that Morgan would never believe his facade, but it didn't stop him from trying.

"Maybe because you spent nearly every minute with her for the last year." Morgan pointed out the obvious. "If anyone is keeping in touch with her, my money is on you."

"What about Emily or Garcia? Those three were best friends." Hotch replied easily, trying to deflect from his friend's earlier question.

"They aren't stuck on her like you are." Morgan retorted quickly, not even having to think for a moment.

"Why does everyone keep on saying things like that?" Hotch asked rhetorically. He had thought that he'd kept his feelings for JJ a secret, but he was finding that maybe he wasn't as hard to read as he thought.

"Hotch, you don't smile--I've seen you do it six times in the entire time I've worked with you and four of them were when you were talking to JJ." Morgan leveled. "You know, she hasn't put down a down-payment on an apartment yet--it's just a month to month thing, I called her earlier. It's not too late to change her mind."

"The transfer's gone through, and JJ has no intention on coming back." If JJ was going to stay, she would have by now, Hotch was sure of it. He had watched her go, and while it had nearly killed him, he knew it was what she had to do.

* * *

"JJ, did you see the Blazers game?" Agent Anna Maxfield--Max--asked her excitedly as they chatted in the break room.

"Aw come on Max, we all know those East Coasters are football folks." A red-headed agent that JJ had just met—Agent Samantha "Sam" Gibbs--spoke up teasingly.

"Well that's a shame, I played basketball in college--it's the only real sport." Max continued.

"I played soccer in college; basketball was for the kids that couldn't make the soccer team." JJ teased, causing her coworkers to laugh heartily.

Her new friends were cut off from their retort by her ringing cell phone. "Agent Jareau." JJ answered, then rolled her eyes obviously at her coworkers who laughed at the angry reporter they could hear standing feet away from her. "I assure you; we'll let the media know the next time a violent crime occurs." JJ quickly ended the call as her colleagues looked at her in sympathy.

"I do _not_ envy your job."

"Well, it's a tough gig, but I love the rush." JJ laughed, thinking of Garcia and what the woman would say in response to her. She would miss the BAU, but Oregon would feel like home soon enough. Her coworkers were fun and they got along, like the BAU. Her boss was a classic workaholic, just like the BAU. But she couldn't fight the feeling that while her new unit was similar, it would never be the same.

Looking down as her phone buzzed in her hand, JJ was shocked at the name that flashed on the screen. _Erin Strauss._

* * *

"Agent Hotchner, could you explain to me why another qualified and competent agent has requested a transfer out of your unit after working with your team for less than a month?" Strauss asked accusingly as Hotch stood in her office, the two facing off for yet another battle of the wills.

"With all due respect, none of them have been competent. Agent Saunders was a gifted agent, but she struggled to gain the trust of the local officials and I was unaware of her desire to transfer." Hotch stated honestly and added, "though if I had been made aware, I likely wouldn't have done anything to stop it."

"The efficiency of the BAU has fallen dramatically in the last two months." Strauss stated, waiting for his reaction.

"Because you transferred an important member of our team." Hotch retorted. "We work as a family, and right now we're a man down."

"A man down who doesn't want to come back." Strauss said exasperatedly, then realized she had revealed more than she intended. She sighed, somewhat delighted to burst Aaron Hotchner's bubble, but upset at having to divulge her secret. "FBI Brass made it clear to me that they wanted the BAU functioning at full force again, they suggested I offer Agent Jareau a transfer back here and share responsibilities as a Senior Profiler and Unit Liaison. I spoke with her twenty minutes ago where she assured me that Oregon was a good move for her." She explained, loving the dumbfounded look that overtook her nemesis.

"She said what?" Hotch managed to ask.

"She said that it was made apparent to her that there was nothing left for her back in Quantico, but good friendships." Erin Strauss added, practically quoting JJ verbatim.

"Excuse me." Hotch left the room quickly, unwilling to show emotion to the woman who was so ready to plot his downfall.

* * *

JJ stood outside her car, scraping the snow and ice off her windshield. _I hate the snow._ She thought to herself angrily as Henry sat happily in the idling car, bundled up in his booster seat.

She wasn't sure what made her turn down the offer from the Section Chief. As much as she was getting along with her co-workers, she _hated_ Oregon. It was the middle of February, the snow was cold and miserable, and she didn't even have football to distract her anymore. Not even the hope that it would get warmer soon encouraged her, knowing that the snow would just be replaced with rain. _I hate the rain._

The move had been hard for Henry, he'd had a difficult time adjusting to a new daycare and time zone. She wasn't willing to do that to him again, not when he was just beginning to get settled. If she were honest with herself, she'd admit that the move was probably harder on her than it was on Henry. She couldn't do that to either of them again.

* * *

"Garcia, I need you to see if there's any correlation between Mitchell Reynolds and our victims." Hotch commanded as he walked into Garcia's office with his current case file in hand.

"Yes, sir." Garcia replied coldly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, _sir._" Garcia spat out.

Turning as though to leave as he decided that Garcia would tell him when she got around to it, he didn't make it three footsteps before her tirade began. "I know that you're supposed to be all angry and mean faced to scare all the bad guys, but I can't _believe_ that you wouldn't even tell my sparkling ray of Sunshine goodbye before she left. The whole callous, indifferent man thing is hot in all the old movies, but I didn't need to see it in real life. The moron actually likes you, and you weren't even nice to her. What's a girl to do when all men seem to be the sink holes of the human existence?"

"Garcia, she could have fought it if she wanted to." Hotch used the familiar excuse lamely.

"She didn't know there was anything to fight _for!" _Garcia cried incredulously, "JJ is the nicest person in the world, yet every man in her life has let her down. You just added your name to the list--a list that I am about ready to pulverize each member's existence."

"I don't know what you want me to do." He said quietly.

"Fight for her! You're supposed to be smart! Every man in JJ's life has given up on her, and just when I think she has a chance at happiness, you flake out on her like all the others. It took two_ years_ for her to get over Will! Will quit on her like everyone else." She seethed.

"Garcia, Will died." Hotch suddenly felt the need to defend the man's honor.

"In her arms! That stupid car crash hurt her in more ways than one! And as she held that jerk in her arms and told him to stay with her, the idiot left her like everybody else. And if he were still on this planet I'd kill him."

Hotch almost laughed at the impracticality of Garcia's argument. Will had no more control over what happened than Hotch did with what was happening now. _But you COULD have fought for her, _he thought to himself.

"But she was offered a chance to come back--she said no." Hotch offered the lame excuse.

"And you're an idiot if you can't see why." Garcia turned, refusing to acknowledge him.

* * *

**_AN/I promise, there will be a happy ending._**


	9. Chapter 9

**_AN/ I don't own Criminal Minds. I forgot to mention in the last chapter that it's thanks to SSBAILEY that these have come up so quickly. She's awesome. Izzie's idea, so she's great too :)_**

* * *

Hotch stared at the doors to the Sacramento Police Department in thought. The case had been a particularly bad one, and Agent Green's announcement that he was asking for a transfer after this case came as no surprise.

"You know, Sacramento is 483 miles away from Portland. The average jet can make the trip in 58 minutes--faster if the BAU jet was taken and the team took a personal day in Oregon." Reid piped up, ruining the unit chief's tense silence.

"Reid..." Hotch began, becoming annoyed at how often he had discussed this with the team.

"My point is, basic logic dictates that if you find something pleasurable, and it is universally in your best interest, it's your responsibility to pursue happiness." Reid began to explain. "Also, the team was 93.2% more effective with JJ as our liaison, so you could argue that it is in the best interest of the country to go get her." He said before walking off.

Hotch had never been the epitome of spontaneity, he had always played life cautious, never allowing himself to get burned, but suddenly taking risks seemed to make sense. For months he had convinced himself that he couldn't go get her, that she wouldn't want him. But he'd never actually know until he tried. The entire team was sure that he could get her to come back, maybe he really could. He thought for a moment, wondering what would happen if he did go to Oregon. Even if she said no, he'd be back on the jet in two hours, and no one would ever have to know. Taking a leap of faith that was so out of character for him, he decided to go after what he really wanted.

* * *

As Hotch walked into the Oregon field office, he could feel adrenaline pulsing through his veins. He worried about whether he was about to do the right thing, but knew that even if it wasn't, it didn't matter. He had made his decision back in Sacramento, he would try to bring back JJ, and the closer he got to her unit, the less it seemed like he was going to take 'no' for an answer. As he got into the elevator, he noticed a woman gawking at him.

He looked at her questioningly, not knowing if he knew her or why she was staring at him.

"Your the ex-husband!" The blonde woman gasped. "You ran her out of town and now your crawling back to her?"

"Excuse me?" He asked, completely confused at what he could have done to the woman in order to invoke that reaction.

"JJ. You treated her like garbage and now you want her back." The woman shouted triumphantly. "I _knew_ it!"

"I'm here to talk to JJ, but I'm not married to her." Hotch said, raising his eyebrow a little.

The woman shook her head to herself, muttering defeat. "You're probably confused. I tend to do that to people, I'm Agent Maxfield--Max, to everybody..." Max began to ramble. "I just noticed you from a picture that is on JJ's desk, and we have a little bet on why she doesn't date or seem to even want to, and my money was on crazy ex-husband."

Hotch stared at the woman with a blank expression. mistaking the lack of apparent emotion as interest, she continued. "We know that she has a son, but she hasn't talked about his father. Then there's the picture I've already talked about, where she's with her son and you're sort of in the background, so I thought that you were baby daddy. But with the look you're giving me I think I must've been wrong." The woman said, unabashed.

"Um..." Hotch began, unsure of what to say. He knew the picture well, Prentiss had taken it last year during an impromptu BAU picnic. It was one of his favorite photos of JJ, it was the first time he'd seen her smile since Will died. His thoughts were interrupted yet again by the talkative agent.

"So your here to win back the girl wonder? Good. Not that I don't like working with her, because she's great. But you seem to want her for more than professional reasons, which I think the girl needs a good sordid romance." The woman said as the elevator doors opened. "Go get her." She added, as she walked into the bull pen. Hotch noticed as a few agents glared at him, one even standing up intimidatingly.

"Relax Daniels, he's JJ's casanova." The girl squeeled happily, she turned to Hotch and motioned over to a door. "That's her office."

As he walked closer to the door, he saw as JJ's new coworkers inched forward in order to get a better view. As he knocked on her door, he waited awkwardly for a response. After a few seconds, he knocked again. He tried turning the doorknob. _Locked. _This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

He heard as another agent--a redhead--sighed pathetically. "Where is she?"

The mood in the room dropped significantly. "Here we are, all excited for a moment that rivals the Notebook, and we get left with him knocking on her door. JJ is the worst chick-flick heroine ever!" Max piped in. Finally annoyed at the situation, she hollered over to an office. "Micheals, where did JJ go?"

Their unit chief came out of his office, ignorant of what had transpired. "Her boy is sick, she went home to go take care of him. Why?" The man said in his thick Brooklyn accent. His entire unit looked at each other sadly. He couldn't understand why there was a strange man knocking at his new profiler's door.

As Hotch walked out the door, now more determined then ever, the man's face contorted into a confused expression. "Wait, whose that?"

"Wait, was that the boyfriend who got a kidney transplant?" Agent Daniels called out, hoping to win the bet.

* * *

Hotch had no problem finding the small, blue house that JJ was renting. Walking up the path, he began to smile to himself. At least now he knew he'd tried everything to win over JJ, including making a fool of himself in front of all of her coworkers. Knocking on the door of JJ's house, he prayed for any kind of a response.

As JJ opened her front door, Hotch felt his heart skip a beat. In the months since she had left, he thought of her often, remembering her as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Now, he realized his memories hadn't done her justice. He was now positive that she was the most beautiful woman _anyone_ had ever seen.

JJ looked up startled. Of all the people she had been expecting to show up on her doorstep, Hotch was definitely the last on the list. "Hotch, what are you doing here?" She asked, not knowing what to expect. She had shut the book on Aaron Hotchner the day she left the BAU, knowing that he'd never think of her as anything other than a colleague. She wasn't sure she could handle that point being reiterated.

"Can I come in?" He asked, the cold weather not encouraging his emotional outpouring.

"Sure." JJ said startled, letting him in. "What are you doing here?" She asked again.

"I came to see if you'd come back." He stated, then seeing her quirked eyebrow, suddenly became nervous, "We're 93.2% less effective without you." He blurted out, then kicked himself mentally _Did I really just use a Reid statistic?_

"Let me guess, Reid?"

"Yeah." Hotch laughed slightly, trying to hide his nervousness, "he pointed out that for the good of the country I needed to ask you to come back."

JJ felt awkward and uncomfortable. She had been trying to convince herself for weeks that the only thing between her and Aaron Hotchner was a friendly relationship between coworkers. As much as she missed Garcia and Emily, it wasn't enough to move cross country _again _while not significantly helping her career, her love life, or her son's life. "Oh." She said unsurely, "well, the United States seems to have gotten along for the last 200 years without my help, so I'm pretty sure that my presence in Virginia is not required."

"That didn't come out the way I meant it." Hotch admitted, stumbling for some unknown reason.

"Hotch, it's really nice to see you again, but Henry's got the flu and he's going to be waking up from his nap any minute. Tell everyone that I miss them and I'll call them soon." She said politely, feeling like a chunk was being removed from her heart.

"JJ, I--"

"No, really, it's okay. Oregon is good for me." She lied shamelessly as she looked out the window and fought a grimace at the freshly falling snow. _I hate the snow._

"JJ, I miss you. I want you to come back. Not for the job, for me." Hotch said, cringing at how selfish and childish he sounded.

JJ stood dumbfounded at the revelation. _Did he just say what I thought he said?_

"Do you want to know a secret? I couldn't say goodbye to you because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle it when you left. I've woken up every day for the past 46 days wondering when the next time I saw you would be. I need you Jennifer Jareau, and I'm not giving up." The words came out eloquently as he stared into her blue eyes.

JJ simply blinked at him, as though comprehension of his speech was far past her current ability. Her silence prompted him to continue, "JJ, I need to be around you. So if you want to spend the rest of your days on the west coast in Portland, Oregon, then I will quit my job and move out here. I--"

"Hotch?" JJ interrupted his soliloquy, "Do _you_ want to know a secret?" He nodded, permitting her to continue, "When I heard about the transfer, I wanted you to say _something_ to encourage me to stay, but you didn't." She could see the pain in his eyes, "And after those two weeks, I was grateful to be moving across the country so that I could be as far away from you as possible. But even here, every time I see a park or a small coin collection, I think of you. I can't get away from you, and I don't want to. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He quickly closed the distance between their bodies, the electricity that seemed to have build throughout the years shot through both of them, creating an impassioned wave of emotion that overcame both of them. The fire between them seemed to grow as they stood entranced in each other's arms. Finally JJ pulled away, grinning like a five year old that stole a cookie out of the jar.

"Hotch?"

"Yeah?"

"Get me out of here. I _hate_ Portland."

"Done." Hotch smiled as she closed the gap between their two bodies, engulfing him once more in her beauty.

* * *

**_AN/We're not done yet, though we probably only have one more chapter--an epilogue. So, I hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!_**


	10. Epilogue

**_AN-- Here's the end. Thanks again to Izzie. ss for the awesome idea. And thanks to all of you who have reviewed and followed this story. You are always appreciated._**

Epilogue

As JJ and Hotch entered the BAU--holding hands as always--the couple was flagged over by a very excited Morgan. The pair exchanged confused looks and walked over, wondering what on earth could be so important that Morgan hadn't greeted them with his usual innuendos. Not that JJ minded at all, she found it awkward every time Morgan asked her if she 'got some' the night before.

"Have you noticed that Emily isn't here yet?" Morgan smiled ear to ear.

Reid, listening from his desk, nodded. "Yeah."

"Have you noticed that for the last three weeks, Emily has come in five minutes later than she used to?" Morgan said happily.

Rossi, who had accidentaly heard the conversation looked unfazed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

JJ caught on quickly to Morgan's idea. "Emily only lives five minutes from the BAU, and that's including traffic." JJ smirked.

"Here we go again." Hotch groaned sarcastically, squeezing JJ's hand. A bet like this had lead to the best thing in his life.

"You guys, what about the 'no inter-team' profiling rule?" Reid reminded them.

"Wait, the rule that even though I worked here for five years I was, quote, 'Exempt' from?" JJ quirked her eyebrow, daring him to try to go further with that point.

"Yeah..." Reid nodded sheepishly. "But in my defense, I reminded them about it before we made the bet."

"Well, I didn't help make the rules. I'm betting." JJ dismissed. "20 bucks says she's got a new coffee place and it's out of the way. She seems too happy lately."

"Yeah, we could say the same thing about you and Hotch whenever you come in after the weekend." Morgan retorted, receiving an unappreciative glare from Hotch. The unit chief could take whatever Morgan had to say or allude to about him and JJ. But he wasn't about to let Morgan say that kind of stuff with JJ present.

"Please, Emily practically _guzzles_ the coffee in the break room when she gets here, why would she drink it before?" Reid pointed out.

"Because she's Emily." Hotch countered, as though it were obvious. If Emily Prentiss was known for anything, it was her caffeine addiction. He wrapped his arms protectively around JJ.

Morgan and Reid looked at each other knowingly. Of course Hotch would side with JJ, he had done it all the time before they were together. Why would it change now?

"My money is that she's seeing someone." Morgan said decisively.

"Morgan, you always say that. If we don't know what someone is up to, you assume they are seeing someone." Hotch responded pointedly. And he had good right to, Morgan had made him think that JJ was in a relationship with someone else. Now that they were talking about marriage, it seemed like that was obviously not the case.

"The kid's got a point though Hotch." Rossi reasoned. "If you guess that they are in a secret relationship every time we make one of these bets, he's going to be right sometime."

"Yeah, just like a psychic. Keep guessing obvious answers and sometimes you're bound to get lucky." Hotch grumbled.

"Hey, don't knock things you don't understand." JJ teased. Hotch had always given her a rough time for her love of horoscopes and the supernatural.

"Well, then, I'm just going to have to jump ship and place my own bet." Hotch smiled, "I say she's exercising--like walking to work or something."

"Oh, that's so lame." Morgan moaned, "besides, you didn't even bet when it was JJ."

"That was pleasure, this is business." Rossi teased his old time friend lightly.

"You got a bet man?" Morgan asked the older Italian.

"20 bucks says that she is just getting up later--sleeping in." Rossi decided.

"I say that she found a new bookstore and she's searching for a particular novel." Reid hypothesised.

"Emily doesn't read new books. She's all about the classics. And she knows her way around Ebay." Morgan said, shaking his head.

They heard the door open and watched as Emily walked into the bull pen. Knowing that they looked suspicious, the team quickly despersed.

Hotch grabbed JJ's hand and began to walk her to her office. The pair was silent for a moment before Hotch spoke. "What's on your mind?"

"You didn't bet." JJ mused, a smile wide on her face.

"Excuse me?" Hotch asked confused, he was grateful for anything that would bring a smile to her face, but he wasn't sure what he had done.

"When I was taking the classes, you didn't put any money into the pot. You didn't bet." JJ explained, as if Hotch were supposed to know what she was meaning.

"I just didn't feel good about it."

"Why?" JJ questioned. Her boyfriend was the epitome of morals, but a small bet wasn't so unprofessional. She wouldn't have cared.

"JJ, I've loved you for years. Betting felt like I'd be disrespecting you and your right to keep a secret. I wanted you to feel like you could tell me without feeling like I'd use it as barter." He smiled down at her.

While JJ really did intend on keeping their relationship seperate from their work life; she couldn't help herself. She leaned up and gave a quick kiss to the man of her dreams. "I knew you were a keeper."

JJ walked into her office and quickly began to look over a few files, as she heard the door knock, she assumed it was Hotch. "You can come in. I thought it went without saying that you didn't need to knock."

"When did we decide that?" Emily asked after a moment. She always knocked when she got to JJ's office.

"Oh." JJ said, slightly embarassed. "Well, just now." She tried to cover up.

"You thought I was Hotch, didn't you?" Emily deduced easily.

"Well...." JJ tried to think of a decent lie but failed. "Its hard to remember that there are other people who come to my office when there's one in particular that stands out in my mind."

"Gross." Emily groaned.

It took JJ a moment to catch on to what Emily was alluding to, but when she did. She let out a gasp. "We don't do that at work!"

"Morgan and I have a little bet going to see who can catch you guys in the act first. Looks like I know where to look first." Emily smiled.

"What do you want?" JJ asked, trying to change the subject to anything else.

"Can I get your advice on something?" Emily said, shifting her wieght from one leg to the other.

"Shoot." JJ smiled.

"Well I've got this secret...."

**The End**


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